Technologically challenged

I don't claim to be very tech savvy like Raghu, but some of the older people in my family are miles behind where I am.

One of my maternal cousins, who is like 15 years older than me, had come home yesterday from our native place. My mother had wanted to give her a mobile and I procured a basic model last Sunday. Last night, I thought I will have her do the formalities of inserting the SIM card etc., so that she gets a feel of what needs to be done (using the adage of feeding fish to someone will feed him for a day but teaching him fishing him will feed him for life).

Since my mother would not let herself be left out of these things and she had to show my cousin that she was an experienced mobile phone user, she too started giving tips here and there! Anyways, towards the end of the demo session, I asked my cousin to remove the SIM card and restore the phone back to its box.

I spent a vivid 2-3 minutes in imparting the "switching off a phone "lesson to her. After that, she opened the battery cover and told my mother "There is a light that is still glowing" ("ennadhu, edho oru light innum eriyardhu?"). She had actually seen the hologram on the battery and with the light reflecting on it, assumed that it was a light source by itself!

Even as I was reeling from the shock, my mother's response caused me to literally ROTFL. Her statement was "Don't worry, it will go off on its own" ("kavala padaadha, thaanaa annanjudum")!

I rest my case!